Mark of the King
by theplaywrite
Summary: The story of how Jack Atlas gained his mark of the Crimson Dragon.


Mark of the King

"Martha, what's a king?" The young boy asked his foster mother, who was busy preparing their evening dinner.

The older woman smiled at the innocent question. "Well, Jack. A king is someone who rules over a kingdom. He is highly respected by his subject and has great power."

Respect. Power.

Those are two things that Jack has heard of, but never felt like he ever had. Being an orphan and living in the slums of the Satellite sector, means you never get respect from anyone. You are treated like a peice of worthless trash and are casted aside from the rest of society.

"How do you become a king?" Jack asked curiously.

Martha thought for a short moment. "Well, you would have to be born into a royal family."

Jack frowned and looked at the wooden floor beneath his feet. "I don't know what family I was born into."

His foster mother immediately stopped what she was doing and hugged her little boy. Martha always wanted the best for the children she cared for. If only she could give them that. "Don't worry, Jack. A king could also be someone who is very strong, brave and powerful, whom people respect and admire greatly. Any ordinary man can become a king and have people look towards him for guidance."

Jack perked up after hearing those words. "You mean, if I am strong enough, I could become a king?"

Martha smiled and brushed Jack's blonde hair back. "Just maybe."

Jack's purple eyes grew the excitement and happiness the young boy was feeling inside. Dreams of a better life made living in Satellite bearable and let the lost children take themselves away from their horrible home, to a place of wonder and safety. That is why Jack always loved it when Martha told him and the rest of his friends stories, to take them away from Satellite.

Later that night, Jack laid wide awake on the small, worn out bed he shared with his brothers. His young and imaginative mind was racing, picturing a world where he was king. A place where everyone would respect him. He would have the power and strength to overcome any situation. It was a beautiful place that was all his own.

"Hey, Yusei." Jack whispered over to the younger boy sleeping next to him.

Yusei was a light sleeper, but did get rather annoyed whenever anyone purposely tried to wake him up. "What do you want, Jack?"

"If I was king, would you be one of my subjects?" The blonde asked eagerly.

The young Yusei rolled his eyes at the ridiculous question. "There are no kings in Satellite, Jack."

"But, what if I became the king of Satellite? What if I grew up to be so powerful, everyone would want me to be their king?"

Yusei yawned and let his eyes close. "The day people let some kid from Satellite be king, is the day I make magic dragons appear from the sky. Now, go to sleep." The raven-haired boy rolled over, putting his back towards Jack. Yusei had no idea that what he had just said to his friend crushed a dream inside of him.

Yusei was probably right. There was no way Jack could ever become a king or even a somebody. It was stupid of him to even wonder about it. He has no power. He has no respect. He was just some castoff that nobody really cared about. He will never amount to anything.

Jack felt his eyes swelling up and a single tear rolled down his cheek. What did he do to deserve this life? Just the thought of being trapped in Satellite forever, never being able to accomplish anything, scared Jack. Does he not deserve a chance, just like everybody else? The young boy pulled his arm up and started sobbing into his torn sleeve. A king should never cry.

Then, there was a soft voice in the back of Jack's mind, telling him that this was not the life he was destined to live. He was always destined for greatness. He was destined for respect and power. He was more than just some kid living in poverty. He will be king. He was always meant to be the true king.

Suddenly, Jack sat up and was breathing very quickly. There was a strange sensation running through his body. It was like nothing he had ever felt before. It scared him. Was he sick or dying? Jack glanced down and noticed something bizarre on his arm. There was a faint reddish glow on his right forearm. At first, he thought it was just his eyes playing tricks on him, but then, the glow started to fade. Behind it, a strange mark was left on his arm. The pattern reached across his skin and resembled an arrow or maybe even a pair of wings.

What was this all about? Maybe he was dreaming?

"Jack, are you okay?" The voice besides him asked.

Jack turned his head towards Yusei, wondering if he too had seen what had happened. "I'm fine. Just a nightmare."

Yusei laid back down, leaving Jack to himself. He tried to convince himself that it was all just a dream. But every time he looked down at his arm, that mark was still there. Jack quickly wrapped his right arm in the thin sheets and smashed his face into the flat pillow. Maybe it would be gone in the morning.

As the sun rose across the polluted sky above Satellite, Jack was the first of the children to wake up. He could barely sleep, wondering if that mark would still be on his arm. What would he do if it was? Should he tell Martha?

Jack jumped out of bed, holding his arm against his chest. He did not want anyone to see the mark, if it was still there. The young boy quickly walked his tired body to the small bathroom and locked the door behind him. Jack stood in front of the mirror, took a deep breath as he revealed the concealed side of his arm.

There it was. It was the exact mark he had seen the previous night. It was no dream. But, what caused it to appear? What did it want with him? Jack decided to turn on the sink facet and see if washing his arm would make the mark go away. As the young boy held his arm under the running water and then began to forcefully rub his skin, the mark never faded.

"Breakfast is ready for anyone who's up." Jack heard Martha call upstairs, followed by the sound of footsteps.

He was scared to tell anyone about the mark. What would they think of him and his story of how the mark appeared on his arm? Jack would have to hide it. He would keep it hidden from the world. Nobody will ever know. He will just wear sleeves for the rest of his life, or maybe when he is older, say it is a tattoo and make up the meaning behind it.

"I know you're in there, Jack. Hurry up! I have to wash my hands." The Yusei began knocking on the door.

Jack sighed. He pulled down his shirt sleeve, crossed his arms and went to open the door. Maybe could ask Martha for a long-sleeve jacket. As he opened the door, Jack tried to avoid Yusei by turning away.

"Thanks, Jack."

The young blonde quickly shuffled back into his shared bedroom, now empty. He sat on the bed and looked down at his arm.

"What is this mark?"

At the same time Jack was trying to figure out what had happened to him, far off in a different world, Rex Goodwin stood in front of a capsule. The future director of New Domino City had been waiting for this moment for a very long time. The first of the Signers had revealed themselves. Now all he had to do was find them.

"The time has finally come. The task Roman gave to me has officially begun. Soon, I will have all the Signers gathered together and I will find you, brother."


End file.
